Heat Exchanger Comprising A Bundle Provided With Means Permitting The Limitation Of The Movements Of The Said Exchange Bundle In Relation To The Walls Of The Housing

ABSTRACT

A heat exchanger comprises a housing adapted to surround a heat exchange bundle. The housing is provided with an opening for receiving the heat exchange bundle in the interior of the housing. The heat exchange bundle comprises a first extremity adapted to close the opening in the housing when the heat exchange bundle is inserted in the interior of the housing. A second extremity of the heat exchange bundle opposite the first extremity is provided with at least one protuberance, and the wall of the housing is provided with a contact element adapted to support the protuberance in order to limit the movement of the second extremity of the heat exchange bundle in relation to the wall of the housing.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a heat exchanger, for example a heatexchanger intended for an automobile. More precisely, the inventionrelates to a heat exchanger permitting the exchange between a firstfluid and a second fluid, in which the first fluid is a fluid such asair, for example, and the second fluid is a liquid fluid such as water,for example. The heat exchanger according to the present invention isparticularly adapted for use for cooling of the charge air.

STATE OF THE ART

These days, the internal combustion engines of automobiles arefrequently supplied with compressed air in order to improve theperformance of the said engines. This compressed air is often designatedusing the expression “charge air”. The compressed air is obtained by theuse of a compressor driven by the exhaust gas. Consequently, the effectof compressing the air is to heat the compressed air. It has been foundnecessary to cool the compressed air prior to its introduction into theinterior of the engine, in order to lower the temperature of the saidcompressed air prior to its introduction into a cylinder of the engine.

Already familiar for the purpose of cooling the compressed air is theuse of a heat exchanger comprising a heat exchange bundle constituted byan assembly of plates, positioned one on top of the other and forming,in combination, a conduit permitting a first fluid such as a liquid tobe guided from an inlet towards an outlet. In order to improve theexchange of heat, the assembly of the plates is supplemented bycorrugated spacer elements. The heat exchange bundle is positioned inthe interior of a casing or a housing. This housing is provided with aninlet and an outlet for the second fluid to be cooled, such as air, andis adapted to guide the second fluid from an inlet towards an outlet.The housing performs the function of a header box enclosing the saidheat bundle and permitting the admission and the regulation of thecharge air. Such a housing is molded, for example, in a material such asaluminum or plastic.

In practice, the walls of the housing are relatively thin and relativelyflexible. Thus, when using the housing, the volume of the said housingmay increase depending on the increase in the pressure and in thetemperature in the interior of the housing.

The housing of a heat exchanger is provided, according to the prior art,with an opening permitting the introduction of the heat exchange bundleinto the interior of the housing. In practice, the housing isessentially in the form of a box comprising five walls. The sixth wallis omitted in order to permit the heat exchange bundle to be introducedinto the interior of the housing by displacing the said exchange bundletowards the interior of the housing in a direction of introduction. Whenthe heat exchange bundle is in place, the sixth wall of the housing isformed by a top cover, to which a first extremity of the exchange bundleis secured. For this type of application, the top cover permits theassembly consisting of the plates and the corrugated spacer elements ofthe heat exchanger to be connected and the whole to be secured to thesaid top cover. The top cover is provided with conduits permitting thefluid, such as a liquid, to enter into the interior of the heatexchanger and to exit from the heat exchanger. The top cover secured tothe heat exchange bundle performs a function of closing the openingwhich permits the introduction of the heat exchanger. Thus, in a firststage, the heat exchange bundle is surrounded or enclosed by the wallsof the housing and, in a second stage, is enclosed by the top cover.

In its operating position, the top cover, to which the heat exchangebundle is secured, is in principle positioned in an essentiallyhorizontal manner above the said heat exchange bundle. In other words,the heat exchange bundle is suspended from the top cover.

The heat exchangers that are known from the prior art have a number ofdisadvantages. In the first place, the connection between the housingand the top cover is very fragile and is required to withstand both highpressure and the high temperatures that are present in the interior ofthe heat exchanger. In addition, the walls of the housing are capable,during normal use of the heat exchanger, of deforming under the pressureof the hot air that is present in the interior of the said heatexchanger. This deformation, which remains constant during operation ofthe heat exchanger, may give rise to premature wear of the material usedduring the manufacture of the housing. The reliability of the housingmay be adversely affected as a result.

In addition, to the extent that the heat exchange bundle is suspendedfrom the top cover, the heat exchange bundle may exhibit pendularmovements under the influence of the vibrations imposed by the operationof the engine of the vehicle with which the heat exchanger is beingused. The repetition of these pendular movements, in particular in thepresence of a resonance effect, may produce a negative influence on thereliability of the heat exchanger.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The heat exchanger according to the present invention is intended toovercome the disadvantages of heat exchangers, as disclosed in the priorart, by proposing a new design regarding the securing of a heat exchangebundle in the interior of the housing of a heat exchanger.

For this purpose, the present invention relates to a heat exchangercomprising a housing adapted to surround a heat exchange bundle, thesaid housing being provided with an opening for receiving the said heatexchange bundle in the interior of the said housing, the said heatexchange bundle comprising a first extremity adapted to close theopening in the housing when the heat exchange bundle is inserted intothe interior of the said housing, in which a second extremity of theheat exchange bundle opposite the said first extremity is provided withat least one protuberance, and in which the wall of the housing isprovided with a contact element adapted to support the said protuberancein order to limit the movement of the second extremity of the heatexchange bundle in relation to the said wall of the housing.

The limitation of the pendular movement of the heat exchanger resides inthe fact that the second extremity of the heat exchange bundle isincapable of displacement in relation to the walls of the housing due tothe presence of at least one protuberance and the contact elementadapted to ensure contact with the said protuberance. In other words,the securing of the connection between the housing and the top cover isimproved by the absence of pendular movement of the exchange bundle inrelation to the housing under the influence of the vibrations imposed bythe operation of the engine of the vehicle with which the heat exchangeris being used.

According to one particular embodiment of the invention, the heatexchange bundle is introduced into the interior of the housing in adirection of introduction, the protuberance extending essentially in thesaid direction of introduction, and the said contact element beingadapted to support the protuberance in order to limit the movement ofthe said protuberance in relation to the wall of the housing in adirection essentially perpendicular to the direction of introduction.

According to one particular embodiment of the invention, the wall of thehousing is provided with an opening allowing the said protuberance topass through the said wall of the said housing.

According to one particular embodiment of the invention, the contactelement is adapted to be secured to the exterior of the wall of thehousing in order to support the protuberance and to cover the saidopening.

According to one particular embodiment of the invention, theprotuberance is essentially in the form of a peg.

According to one particular embodiment of the invention, the contactelement is essentially in the form of a cap.

According to one particular embodiment of the invention, the heatexchange bundle comprises an assembly of plates together with corrugatedspacer elements, in which the plates and the corrugated spacer elementsand the said at least one protuberance are assembled by means of abrazing process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

The purpose, object and characterizing features of the presentinvention, as well as its advantages, will be appreciated more clearlyfrom a perusal of the following description of the preferred embodimentsof a heat exchanger according to the invention, which description isgiven with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a view, in perspective, of a heat exchanger within ahousing according to a first embodiment of the present invention, withan exterior part of the housing removed in order to reveal the elementsthat are present in the interior of the said heat exchanger, by way ofexample;

FIG. 2 depicts in detail the securing of the heat exchange bundle to thewalls of the housing of the heat exchanger, by way of example;

FIG. 3 illustrates, in a schematic manner, the securing of the heatexchange bundle to the walls of the housing of the heat exchanger, thesaid securing including three protuberances that are secured to thesecond extremity of the exchange bundle and extending beyond the wall ofthe said housing, and

FIG. 4 depicts, in a schematic manner, the securing of a protuberancepermitting the movements of the said protuberance to be limited inrelation to the wall of the housing through a contact element in theform of a “cap”.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a heatexchanger 1 according to the present invention. One part of the exteriorof the heat exchanger 1 has been removed in order to illustrate theinterior of the said heat exchanger 1.

The heat exchanger 1 as illustrated in FIG. 1 is adapted in particularfor use in the automobile industry in order to cool the charge air of aninternal combustion engine (as charge air coolers). The heat exchanger 1allows the charge air to be cooled, for example, by the exchange of heatwith a first fluid, such as the exterior air, or with a liquid, such asthe cooling water of an engine, thereby forming an exchanger of theair/air or liquid/air type.

First, the heat exchanger 1 comprises an inlet manifold 2, frequentlyreferred to by a person skilled in the art under the English designation“intake manifold”. The inlet manifold 2 is secured to the cylinder headof the combustion chamber of the engine (not illustrated here), that isto say to the inlet into the cylinder. Depending on the speed of theengine, the air may be cooled either totally or partially, or the airmay not be cooled. The inlet manifold 2 is connected to a housing 3. Thehousing 3 forms an envelope intended to surround a heat exchange bundle4 that is present in the interior of the said housing 3.

The heat exchange bundle 4 according to the present invention ispositioned in the interior of a housing 3. The housing 3 is providedwith an inlet and with an outlet for a first gaseous fluid and isadapted to guide the said first fluid from an inlet towards an outlet.

The heat exchanger 1 according to the present invention comprises a heatexchange bundle 4 constituted by an assembly of plates, positioned oneon top of the other and forming, in combination, a conduit permitting asecond liquid fluid, used for cooling the first liquid fluid, to beguided from an inlet towards an outlet. In order to improve the exchangeof heat, the assembly of the plates is supplemented by corrugated spacerelements.

According to a known operating function, a first fluid, such as air,passes over the exterior of the heat exchange bundle 4, and a secondfluid, such as the water in the cooling circuit, circulates in theinterior of the heat exchange bundle 4 and, by so doing, permits the airto be cooled.

The heat exchange bundle 4 is formed by an assembly of stamped plates,also referred to as “half blades”. However, the invention also relatesto other types of bundles, and in particular to bundles including tubesand fins. The heat exchange bundle 4, as illustrated in FIG. 2, isformed by a stack of stamped plates arranged in pairs and of identicaldesign. Only the two end plates forming the upper extremity and thelower extremity of the heat exchange bundle 4, as illustrated in FIG. 1,are of a different shape in relation to the stacked stamped plates.

Each stamped plate exhibits a rectangular shape and includes asubstantially plane bottom wall, bounded by a peripheral edge ofrectangular shape and elevated in relation to the bottom wall in orderto form a shallow trough. Each pair of stamped plates delimits achamber. The use of a plate of this type is familiar to a person skilledin the art.

The stamped plates, arranged in pairs, form the heat exchange bundle 4.The respective boss of a stamped plate belonging to a pair is incommunication with the respective boss of an adjacent stamped platebelonging to a part of the neighboring stamped plates.

The heat exchange bundle 4 comprises corrugated spacer elements 5, asillustrated in FIG. 2, arranged between pairs of adjacent stampedplates. The different stamped plates and the corrugated spacer elements5 are assembled, according to a known technique, by a brazing process.After assembly, the heat exchange bundle 4 delimits first channels forthe gas to be cooled, present inside which channels are the corrugatedspacer elements 5, and second channels (not illustrated here) for thecirculation of the cooling liquid obtained by the use of plates.

The component parts of the heat exchange bundle 4 comprising the stampedplates, the corrugated spacer elements 5, the inlet manifold and theinlet tubes and outlet tubes for the cooling liquid are producedadvantageously in an alloy of aluminum, are assembled together and arebrazed in a single operation in a brazing oven.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the upper part of the heat exchange bundle 4is secured to a closing element 6, such as a plate or a top cover 6. Thetop cover 6 performs several functions. One of these functions is topermit an inlet and an outlet of the cooling liquid by means of tubesarranged in the top cover 6. Furthermore, the top cover 6 forms theclosing element of the housing 3. Thus, when the heat exchanger 1 isassembled, the heat exchange bundle 4 is surrounded, on the one hand, bythe walls formed by the housing 3 and, on the other hand, by the topcover 6.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the heat exchanger 1 according to the presentinvention is provided with a protuberance 21 which is secured to thelower extremity of the heat exchange bundle 4. The protuberance 21 is inthe form of a peg and is adapted in order to pass through the lower wall31 of the housing 3 and to be secured to the said lower wall 31 of thehousing 3 by any suitable means, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 2 depicts in detail a first embodiment of the protuberance 21. FIG.2 shows that the lower wall 31 of the housing 3 includes an openingallowing the said protuberance 21 to pass through. The protuberance 21is secured to the lower extremity of a heat exchange bundle 4 by abrazing process. This signifies that, during assembly of the heatexchange bundle 4, a single operation, carried out in a brazing oven,permits a heat exchange bundle 4 to be assembled and the protuberance 21to be secured on the lower wall 31 of the heat exchange bundle 4.

FIG. 3 illustrates in a schematic manner the securing of the heatexchange bundle 4 in the interior of the housing 3 comprising threeprotuberances 21, 22, 23.

In the first place, FIG. 3 shows that the heat exchange bundle 4 hasbeen introduced into the interior of the said housing 3 by displacingthe said heat exchange bundle 4 in the direction of introductionindicated by the arrow 45. Such an introduction is achievable thanks toan almost total opening in the upper wall 32 of the housing 3. Theintroduction of the heat exchange bundle 4 towards the interior of thehousing 3 is also possible by the displacement of the heat exchangebundle of the upper wall 32 in the direction of the lower wall 31 of thehousing 3.

When the heat exchange bundle 4 has been introduced completely into theinterior of the housing 3, the upper wall 32 of the housing 3 is formedby the top cover 6 from which the heat exchange bundle 4 is suspended.The top cover 6 is secured to the upper wall 32 using any suitablemeans, for example screws. The said lower wall 31 is provided withopenings 35, 36, 37 in order to secure the second extremity of the heatexchange bundle 4 to the lower wall 31.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the size of the openings 35, 36, 37 isrelatively large in relation to the size of the protuberances 21, 22,23. Thus, the difference in size between the size of the openings 35,36, 37 and that of the protuberances 21, 22, 23 facilitates theintroduction of the heat exchange bundle 4 according to the invention aswell as its assembly. Furthermore, the size of the openings 35, 36, 37of the heat exchanger 4 according to the invention permits the componentparts of the said heat exchanger according to the invention to beassembled with a relative tolerance with respect to the dimensions ofthe said component parts, but without compromising the assembly of thesaid heat exchanger 4. When the heat exchange bundle 4 is correctlypositioned in the interior of the housing 3, the extremities of theprotuberances 21, 22, 23 are secured in relation to the lower wall 31 ofthe housing 3. The securing of the protuberances 21 on the lower wall 31is illustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 depicts the securing of the extremity of the protuberance 21 inrelation to the lower wall 31, the said securing using a contact element50 in the form of a hat or a cap. The contact element 50 is providedwith a first element 51 adapted to receive within it the extremity ofthe protuberance 21. The contact element 50 comprises a second element52 adapted to secure the said contact element 50 to the lower wall 31.The second part 52 has dimensions adapted to close the opening 35permitting the passage of the protuberance 21 through the lower wall 31.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the movement of the protuberance in relationto the wall 31 is possible, in a normal function of the heat exchanger 4and in the longitudinal direction of the protuberance 21, when theextremity of the said protuberance 21 is secured in relation to thelower wall 31 of the housing 3, using the contact element 50. On theother hand, the movement of the protuberance 21 is limited, in relationto the movement of a heat exchanger according to the state of the art,in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of theprotuberance 21.

Thus, with reference to FIG. 3, the movement of the protuberance 21 ispossible in the direction of introduction 45 of the heat exchange bundle4. On the other hand, the movement of the said protuberance 21 islimited in a perpendicular direction in relation to the said directionof introduction 45.

The protuberances 21, 22, 23, as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, maybe in an essentially cylindrical form or, alternatively, in a squareform. The protuberances 21, 22, 23 may be made of aluminum. Thus, thesaid protuberances may be secured to the heat exchange bundle 4 in thecourse of the assembly of the said heat exchange bundle 4 during abrazing process.

Alternatively, the protuberances 21, 22, 23 may be produced using aplastic material. The contact element 50 may be made of a plasticmaterial. Thus, when the lower wall 31 of the housing 3 is made of thesame type of plastic material, the contact element 50 may be secured tothe lower wall 31 of the housing 3, for example by a method ofultrasonic welding, by a method of welding that is familiar under theEnglish designation “hot plate welding” or also by any suitable adhesivemeans such as a glue.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, a first free space 61 is present between thelower extremity of the heat exchange bundle 4 and the lower wall 31.This free space makes a clearance possible during the assembly and theutilization of the heat exchange bundle 4 and of the housing 3.

A second free space 62 is present between the extremity of theprotuberance 21 and the interior of the first part 51 of the contactelement 50. This second free space 62 permits the avoidance of allpressure on the protuberance 21 and, consequently, on the lowerextremity of the heat exchange bundle 4 after assembly.

When the protuberances 21, 22, 23 are secured on the lower wall 31 ofthe housing 3, a plurality of technical effects are produced. Inparticular, the rigidity of the heat exchanger 1 increases.

Furthermore, when the lower wall of the heat exchange bundle 4 issecured to the wall 31 of the housing 3, this heat exchange bundle 4 isno longer able to perform a pendular movement. In other words, thedetrimental effect of wear caused by the pendular movements isconsequently suppressed.

Within the examples of embodiments described above, it is stated thatthe securing elements 21, 22, 23 may be secured to the lower extremityof the heat exchange bundle 4 by a brazing process. Any other method forthe securing of securing elements may be envisaged, for example by theuse of a suitable adhesive means.

1. A heat exchanger (1) comprising a housing (3) adapted to enclose aheat exchange bundle (4), the housing (3) being provided with an openingfor receiving the heat exchange bundle (4) in the interior of thehousing (3), the heat exchange bundle (4) comprising a first extremityadapted to close the opening in the housing (3) when the heat exchangebundle (4) is inserted into the interior of the housing (3), wherein asecond extremity of the heat exchange bundle (4) opposite the firstextremity is provided with at least one protuberance (21), and in whichthe wall (31) of the housing (3) is provided with a contact element (50)adapted to support the protuberance (21) in order to limit the movementof the second extremity of the heat exchange bundle (4) in relation tothe wall (31) of the housing (3).
 2. A heat exchanger (1) according toclaim 1, in which the heat exchange bundle (4) is introduced into theinterior of the housing (3) in a direction of introduction, theprotuberance (21) extends essentially in the direction of introduction,and the contact element (50) is adapted to support the protuberance (21)in order to limit the movement of the protuberance in relation to thewall (31) of the housing (3) in a direction essentially perpendicular tothe direction of introduction.
 3. A heat exchanger (1) according toclaim 1, in which the wall (31) of the housing (3) is provided with anopening allowing the protuberance (21) to pass through the wall (31) ofthe housing (3).
 4. A heat exchanger (1) according to claim 1, in whichthe contact element (50) is adapted to be secured to the exterior of thewall (31) of the housing (3) in order to support the protuberance (21)and to cover the opening.
 5. A heat exchanger (1) according to claim 1,in which the protuberance (21) is in the form of a peg.
 6. A heatexchanger (1) according to claim 1, in which the contact element (50) isin the form of a cap.
 7. A heat exchanger (1) according to claim 1, inwhich the heat exchange bundle (4) comprises an assembly of platestogether with corrugated spacer elements, in which the plates and thecorrugated spacer elements and the at least one protuberance (21, 22,23) are assembled by means of a brazing process.
 8. A heat exchanger (1)according to claim 2, in which the wall (31) of the housing (3) isprovided with an opening allowing the protuberance (21) to pass throughthe wall (31) of the housing (3).
 9. A heat exchanger (1) according toclaim 2, in which the contact element (50) is adapted to be secured tothe exterior of the wall (31) of the housing (3) in order to support theprotuberance (21) and to cover the opening.
 10. A heat exchanger (1)according to claim 3, in which the contact element (50) is adapted to besecured to the exterior of the wall (31) of the housing (3) in order tosupport the protuberance (21) and to cover the opening.